Transfer fork



July 14, 1925.

Filed Sept. 11

Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

JOE W. WIRT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRANSFER FORK.

Application filed September 1-1, 1922. Serial No. 587,602.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, J on W. WIRT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and

State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Transfer Forks, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved transfer fork for use with loose-leaf prong binders, wherein the sheets uniformly aperturcd along one end are arranged on the prongs wit-h the sheets exposed along one side one sheet a predetermined distance beyond another; to provide an improved transfer fork which is adapted to be used for conveniently and quickly changing the position of a group of sheets on the binder, or temporarily removing them therefrom, without altering the relative arrangement of the sheets in the group; to provide an improved construction of a fork of this kind whereby it is adapted to readily interfit temporarily with either group of prongsv on the binder to permit a direct transfer of the desired group of sheets from the binder pron to the fork and vice versa; and to provide a transfer fork of this kind which is particularly suitable for use with binders constructed similarly to that shown in the patent of A. Martin, No. 1,269,479, dated June 11, 1918, and the patent to Van A. Wirt, No. 1,441,140, dated January 2, 1923.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which I Fig. 1 is a perspective view in dotted outline of a loose-leaf prong binder constructed similarly to the aforesaid Martin patent and showing in full outline a fork constructed in accordance with this invention arranged thereon to have sheets transferred from the binder prongs to the fork,-

or vice versa.

Fig. 2 1s a perspective view of a fork constructed in accordance with the Invention, showing a group of sheets supported thereon.

are extended beyond the prongs so as to provide gripsor handles.

A binder with which this fork is adapted for use embodies a pair of covers hingedly connected together and each having along the hinge a row of uniformly spaced prongs upon which sheets uniformly apertured along one edge are adapted to be supported with the sheets exposed, one a predetermined distance beyond another.

In the specific embodiment herein shown, the binder shown in Fig. 1 is constructed substantially in accordance with that shown in the aforesaid Martin patent. Such a binder comprises a pair of back sections 3 and 4, on each of which is arranged a row of prongs, 6 and 7, respectively, and which back sections are hingedly connected to gether at 5 and have hingedly connected thereto covers 8 and 9, respectively.

The back sections 3 and 4 are angle shaped and the hinge 5 is arranged so that these back sections are adapted to be folded over substantially in the form of a U, in which position the prongs 6 and 7 span the gap between the parallel portions of. the backs. In the open position, as shown in Fig. 1, the prongs are retracted from each other to allow for the removal of one or more of the sheets 10. Suitable locking means are provided for holding the backs in their closed position, which look is adapted to be released by pressure applied to the member 11.

The sheets 10 for use with a binder of this kind have a series of uniformly s aced apertures 12. along one edge thereo and the sheets are arranged in the binder between suitable index leaves 13 with the sheets exposed, one a predetermined distance beyond another, so that a marginal by enabling one to observe at a glance some identifying indicia on all the sheets between any two indexing leaves 13. This arrangement of sheets requires a frequent shifting of a group along the series of prongs 6 and 7, to insert one or more new sheets in their proper order, or to readjust the sheets when one or more are removed.

Also, it becomes necessar sometimes to remove a portion of the's eets 10 from between one set of indexing sheets and replace them betweenother indexing sheets, or transfer a group of sheets 10 and their indexing sheets from one binderto another.

there are preferably more prongs than there are pairs of prongs in the binder; The ends of the bar 14 extending beyond the prongs provide grips or handles 16 and 17 by which the fork may be conveniently manipulated. Apertures 18 are formed in the bar 141 adjacent to the prongs 15, the apertures being spaced from the respective prongs a distance equal to the spacing of the apertures 12 in the sheets 10 or in the arrangement shown, one-quarter of the dis tance between the prongs 15.

The fork herein shown and described is used substantially in the following manner:

When it is desired to remove a group of sheets 10 from the binder and without disturbing their relative arrangement in the group permit it to be replaced in another position on the binder or to remain out of the binder for temporary inspection, the binder is first opened as indicated in Fig. 1. The transfer fork is then arranged in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the prongs 15 interspaced between the prongs 6 or 7 (depending upon which side of the hinder the group of sheets are to be adjusted) and the ends of the prongs 15 placed in apertures 12 between the binder prongs. With one hand holding the fork in the position shown in Fig. 1, the other hand is placed under the bottommost sheet of the group to be removed and the group of sheets thrown over on to the prongs 15 .of the fork and the fork removed from the binder. As will be observed from Fig. 2, the sheets can then be conveniently handled on the transfer fork for inspection or other purposes Without disturbing their relative arrangement.

When the group of sheets is to be returned to the binder, the fork is again placed in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the prongs 15 inserted in apertures 12 which will 10- cate the group of sheets on the fork in the desired position on the binder. Such group of sheets is then pushed 0E from the prongs 15 down on to the binder prongs, whereupon the binder may be closed and used in its customary manner until it again becomes necessary to adjust some of the sheets.

When it becomes necessary to remove a large portion of the sheets from one side of the binder so that in shifting the sheets from the binder prongs into the fork prongs it is advisable to partially close the binder, the fork can be so located that the apertures 18 in the bar 14 are in position to have the prongs 6 pass through said apertures andbring the ends of the prongs 6 and 7 in normal overlapping relation and secure the fork firmly in place until the sheets can be lifted into a position that will insure their being readily withdrawn from the prongs of the binder when the fork is reof prongs secured on said bar in uniformly spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of the prongs on the binder, and having their outer ends always free and unobstruted, said-bar having apertures formed therein, one adjacent each prong and spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between adjacent apertures in said sheets.

2. The combination with a loose-leaf prong binder wherein the sheets are uniformly apertured along one end and supported upon the prongs with the sheets exposed along one side one a predetermined distance b'eyorid another, of a transfer fork,

comprising a bar longer than the width of the binder and a plurality of prongs arrari'ed on said fork, said prongs being shaped and spaced substantially identically with the prongs on said binder, whereby the prongs on said bar are adapted to be temporarily interspaced with the prongs on one side of said binder to engage a group of the sheets to enable the transfer of a group of sheets from said binder prongs to said fork prongs, or vice versa.

3. The combination with a loose-leaf prong binder wherein the sheets are .uniformly apertured along one end and supported upon the prongs withthe sheets exposed along one side one a predetermined distance beyond another, of a transfer fork, comprising a bar longer than the width of the binder and a plurality of prongs arranged on .said fork, said prongs being "shaped and spaced substantially identically with the prongs on said binder, whereby the prongs on said bar are adapted to be temporarily interspaced with the prongs on one side of said binder to engage a group of the sheetsto enable the transfer of a group of sheets from said binderprongs to said fork prongs, or vice versa, sald bar having apertures formed therein adjacent to said prongs and spaced with res ect thereto so that when the prongs on said ork are'inters aced with the prongs on one side of said inder the prongs on the other side of said binder may extend through said apertures.

4. The combination with a loose-leaf prong binder wherein the sheets are uniformly apertured along one end and supported upon the prongs with the sheets exposed along one side one a predetermined distance beyond another, of a transfer fork, comprising a bar and a plurality of prongs arranged on said bar, said prongs being shaped and spaced substantially identically with the prongs on said binder, wherebynthe prongs on said bar are adapted to be temporarily interspaced with the prongs on one side of said binderto engage a group of the sheets to enable the transfer of a group of sheets from said binder prongs to said fork prongs, or vice versa.

5. The combination with a loose-leaf prong binder wherein .the sheets are uniformly apertured along one end and supported upon the prongs with the sheets exposed along one side one a predetermined distance beyond another, of a transfer fork, comprising a bar and a plurality of prongs arranged on said bar, said prongs being shaped and spaced substantially identically with the prongs on said binder, whereby the prongs on said bar are adapted to be temporarily interspaced with the prongs on one side of said binder to engage a group of the sheets to enable the transfer of a group of sheets from said binder prongs to said fork prongs, or vice versa, said bar having apertures formed therein adjacent to said prongs and spaced with respect thereto so that when the prongs on said fork are interspaced with the prongs on one side of said binder the prongs on the other side of said binder may extend through said apertures.

Signed at Chicago this 8th day of September 1922.

JOE W. WIRT. 

